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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Hi
my name is Peg and I am married to the wonderful Mr B, we have 3 grown offspring, 8 grandchildren and share our home with 4 Shih Tzus and 4 Lhasa Apso's, all rescue dogs. Along with my crafting I am one of the directors of a small rescue for small dogs. I am taking time out at the moment due to ill health.
This is my daughter and I on a girly weekend at our holiday home and a very young me knitting :)

The ever patient Mr B on a break from work with 4 of our munchkins.

I have been blogging since about 2005 and although I've gone through barren patches when I've not posted due to the demands of having a family and running a rescue I have thoroughly enjoyed my blogging experience.
I absolutely love making these

I have only been quilting for a few years, I've always enjoyed sewing and began in earnest when I was about 13yrs old. I was the 4th daughter in a family of 5 daughters, the sewing bug grew in all of us apart from the youngest. My Mother was a very accomplished sewer, curtains, cushion covers, clothes were always homemade and lasted a lot longer than shop bought. I did the same with my own children making theirs and my own clothes unless it was something that I definitely couldn't make. Quilting came about after I had taken part in a xstitch stitchalong I chose small samplers from the designer Lizzie Kate. When the samplers all returned to me I decided to make them into a wall hanging which included quilt blocks and borders

I liked my wall hanging so much I decided to make this Prairie Schooler Autumn sampler into one also.

I love cross stitching also this is a sampler I made for a friends anniversary

My lounge walls are covered with samplers which were my favourites to stitch but I also love to stitch the Mirabillia and Lavender & Lace beautiful fairies.

Mid summer nights Fairy

LL Celtic Noel

and I enjoy making these

I have rather a lot of stash for cross stitching, knitting/crochet and of course my quilting, some ladies collect shoes I collect stash :)

Why do I like blogging, well I enjoy talking to people, I enjoy spending time on my computer, I have learnt so much from fellow bloggers who have shared their talents in tutorials both on their blogs and through You Tube. Yes I've had the odd spammer but I just press the delete button and they're gone!

I have to be honest and say I've met some pretty awesome people out there in blogger land, I have had so much support and encouragement from them and have been able to give it back. They make me laugh, they make me cry when they're going through tough times, they inspire me and I am so glad I've come to know them.

To say a huge thank you for visiting my blog I am having my first GIVE AWAY

it is open to all bloggers new, old. Included in the give away is a copy of Mollie Makes magazine, a pack of 15 new 18" x 6" pieces of Shirting all pressed and ready to cut out plus a pack of 2 Needle Grabbers for the hand quilters amongst us. All you need to do is leave a comment here on my blog saying you'd like to be included in the drawer. I will leave this open until February 15th to allow everyone the chance to be involved, all names will be put in the hat and then the winner picked out.

MY GIVE AWAY

I am so looking forward to visiting the blogs in my group and getting to know new friends, I hope you have enjoyed your visit and enjoy the blog party arranged by the lovely Vikki at 2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk

Thursday, January 23, 2014

The day started out with the ground covered in a very cold white all over frost, visibility was down to a few yards due to a thick icy fog. By lunchtime the sun was showing her face and the temperature had risen. I even tried a few items of clothing on the line but they weren't impressed and asked if they could please have 1/2hr or so in the warm tumble dryer and promised to be quick. I gave in and credit to them they were dry under the 1/2hr time, folded and put away.Later in the afternoon the weather decided we needed a smidgen of rain, for all of 2 mins, if you blinked you missed it! The other day it was extremely cold Mr B only works three days now he starts at 6am comes home at 9.30 am then goes back at 2.30 until 6pm. Some of the munchkins had been sleeping on his chair because its near the radiator and I sit well away from it lol. He came in, removed them and sat down to drink his cuppa, this is what happened the other 4 decided to stay with me lol.

I have actually done a little bit of sewing, paper piecing without the papers using Heathers tutorial which you will find here at www.itssewthisnthat.co.uk

There are still quite a few to do as you can see by the pile on the bottom right of the photo, once these are added to those already sew together then the top will be ready for sandwiching and quilting. All the hexi's are handstitched so it's not a rush job but the colours are so pretty. The part sewn top and remaining fabric was for sale quite cheaply a few years ago on ebay, I was a complete novice then thinking ooh I'd love to complete it. I must admit I can't hand sew for long at the moment so it's not going to be finished in just a few days. It is an ideal project though as a change from crochet when Mr B enforces the hospitals rules about resting.I'm not really sure yet what pattern the original quilter was aiming for as its a bit higgledy piddly. I need to lay it out on my bed I think to see if I can work out what her thoughts of pattern were. Whoever she was she has put a lot of patience and many hours sewing them together. She used newspaper to piece the others and I'm hoping when I take these out there'll be at least one piece with the date on. If I remember right it was the sellers Mum who'd passed away.I have another one which is hand sewn but that's in diamonds and darker fabrics all cut from clothing worn by family members.

I was looking through some boxes the other day and found some socks I've knitted so will post about those tomorrow.

Well its 3am and I've got a hospital appointment tomorrow, or later today so I'd better try and get some sleep.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Gosh I don't know whether it's because I'm getting older or the world is moving quicker. Last Friday only seems a couple of days ago.

I haven't been very active this week, I've felt fluey but no cold or cough developed so I've been catching up reading blogs I like to visit.
Nothing better when you're feeling under the weather, home made Potato and Leek soup with home made bread.

I love making my own bread, so much better for you, the only downside is it gets eaten so quickly :) Since my op I've not been able to carry on doing it, we don't like shop bread very much so Mr B took over the mantle. He's not very fond of making it by hand. We have bought bread making machines but tbh I don't like the taste and it goes dry to quickly. However just before Christmas Mr B treated himself to this baby below. She's the Panasonic SD 2501, we waited eagerly for the first loaf to be baked wondering if we'd made the same mistake as before. The timer pinged and she was finished baking, friends I have to say this bread machine is absolutely great and well worth the money!!!! With the other machines you had to add milk powder and butter to the mix with this one you use only water for liquid and butter but it tastes just as good as a hand made loaf. We're very pleased with it and we would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of getting a bread machine.

We don't like using supermarket flour for bread so when we're ready for stocking up on this

We head off to Cauldwell Mill near Bakewell in the Peak District, not far from where we live, the mill is the original one that has been there for over 600 yrs. you can find details and what is also there if you click here
More photos,
the shop from the doorway

the car park

Mr B just leaving the shop

Well worth a visit if you're ever in the area, their granary flour is wonderful also, no additives!
One more thing before I go:

I recently mentioned Heather Bradley a lovely lady who I exchanged machines with, please do click on her name and go visiting. She has a couple of recent great tutorials on there, Heather is a registered Craft Teacher and I wish her the very best in the future. She's one very clever lady and available for teaching. Below is a beautiful bag she made for her daughter to keep her PE kit in. I love it!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

If you look to your right to my side bar you will see a new badge, this is an invitation to an on line blog 'party'. The party starts on January 25th but for now if you click on the beautiful badge created by Karen Valentine especially for this party you will be able to read all about it. Today is the cut off date for signing up but in USA time not UK.

Our weather has sadly gone back to dull, wet day again which means using the tumble dryer but this being outside means popping on a coat and boots. It's not as cold though so that's a bonus a new neighbour has decided to have the hedge around his front garden cut really low, they were at 7'. The shredder machine has been going none stop since 8.45am this morning, not a pleasant noise!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

A day to sit by the fire, or in Mr B's case by the radiator, :) All the munchkins are clipped down as you can see in a previous post so they're feeling the chill too. I brought a quilt down earlier to put over my legs, I foolishly moved and when I came back I had lost my place and my quilt!

A short time ago I found, curtesy of Wilkinsons and Morrisons some really pretty cups,
from :Morrisons just click on the name

I already have the large tea tray to match these, I think they're so pretty, love them.

Some purchases this week also, one of the blogs I follow is owned by Lynne Goldsworthy and I have been lucky enough to book to go to one of her classes she's holding in March at Cromford. She along with Kerry Green have written a great little book called.....

Its a lovely book that is keeping me entertained in wonder at so many different blocks. I also purchased the rotating mat behind it. I have the larger size which is a bit big for the smaller blocks. This one is only 12" x 12" just right.

I've also made more progress on my ripple blanket

slowly but surely and I'm really enjoying myself. I think this one will have a home in the sun room it will go with the cushion colours in there.

My daughter drove me over to the van on Wednesday so we could collect the large sofa seat and back cushions so I can recover them. I recovered the dining area ones and wrote about it here.

These cushions are a lot bigger and there are more of them so it's going to take some time to do but it will be worth it when they're done.

I have added another new member to my sewing room,her name is Florrie and she's a beautiful Brother XL 4050.

She goes very well with Maisie my Brother PE 150 embroidery machine

They go really well together don't they :0) I just need to get a better photo of them both but being truthful I'm slowly sorting my fabric out and have some boxes of cut fabric on the floor so couldn't get back far enough. That will teach me to get things put away.:)

Florrie didn't cost me any money, you may remember I posted recently on how I had answered a request for an overlock machine on freecycle. A very lovely local lady who's serger had burnt out just before Christmas made a request on freecycle. I was very surprised when she offered me her older Brother machine to take to the van with me. She was a very lucky lady receiving a new quilting machine for Christmas from her hubby.

I picked Florrie up the other day and she is lovely, I put the wrong bobbin in so had a problem with tension BUT Heather to the rescue and the problem solved. If you'd like to visit Heather's blog please click here

she's just made some beautiful tops she designed the pattern herself and she has a tutorial for a wallet/purse which I intend trying this coming week. Heather is also a prolific knitter by both machine and hand.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Hello lovely ladies, I hope today finds you well. We've been blessed with a day of glorious sunshine despite rain forcast again. The rain yesterday didn't stop each time we went outside the rain came bursting in the back door. Bless his heart Mr B did the washing but had to dry it in the tumble dryer it made for less ironing though I was able to fold t shirts etc as they came out. I've managed to iron a few items before fatigue hit but it's a start.
I was able to crochet another 3 rows on my ripple blanket, I sorted wool in the colours I want to use, left it on my bed, went into the bathroom for a call of nature got back to find 2 balls strewn across and around the bedroom curtesy of this little tyke! Don't be fooled by the innocent it wasn't me I was sleeping look.

Yesterday when I mentioned the blanket I said it was Lucy's tutorial but I didn't mention that if you click on her name it will take you to her tutorial.

I mentioned in an earlier post about my acquisition of a beautiful Singer 201K in her own cabinet/table. On Tuesday I decided rather that us try and correct the fault and possibly damage her I would take her and have her looked at. We took Betsy in to the machine dr near Sheffield reluctantly leaving her worrying I would get a call to say sorry she can't be repaired. However I'm so pleased to say he's rung me this morning and Betsy can be repaired and working properly again, yeeaahh.

The good news is she only needs a couple of small parts to get her running properly again and she can come home after 11:30am tomorrow! There is the cost of the labour but the parts will cost £18, I ordered a new foot control from another shop, this one works but I noticed a little fraying on the wire cover and I am very wary of electricity so have replaced it. He's told me after her service and the 2 new parts she will give me many years of service. I know my Mum had an old treadle in her conservatory which she'd used, what happened to it when her home was cleared I don't know. Betsy doesn't do fancy stitches but I've got my others for that.

Last year I purchased some cones of thread from a couple closing down their sewing business, there wasn't a photo and I bought blind. I wasn't scammed thankfully but I had no idea they were going to be so big! I have difficulty even lifting up some of them this is just 2 of them, I took a photo with my hand touching one of them so they can see how big they are.

I don't think I'm going to use them so have offered them on my local freecycle I'm just waiting for the 4 people getting back to me to arrange collection. There are some great people out there on FC, when I was asking for duvets and fabric so one of our volunteers could make dog beds for our rescue dogs I was inundated with offers. I ended up with many duvets and loads of fabric suitable for dog beds and was able to pass on both some of the duvets and fabric to another rescue. I had the same response when I asked if anyone had any wool which we needed for dog jumpers. A chap asked for a dog guard, I had one but it wasn't any use for my car, long story, I answered his request he was so pleased and asked if I could use a dog crate, 2 mths old, so the rescue had a new dog crate to use. It's great passing on something that someone is going to be able to use.